Michigan center Drake Nugent believes offensive line is 'coming together,' breaks down short-yardage runs

The Michigan Wolverines football offensive line has left some plays on the field early on this season, but the group believes it’s improving by the week and close to breaking through. Graduate center Drake Nugent noted Tuesday night that the communication has improved.

“The first three games, we struggled a little bit with the inside zone stuff, the communication,” Nugent admitted. “Week by week, we’ve gotten better communication-wise. There are obviously a few plays in each game that you want back, but that’s part of the game, that’s part of football. I think we’re on the right track, for sure.”

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The starting Michigan offensive line has two new faces, both Stanford transfers in Nugent and senior right tackle Myles Hinton. Graduate LaDarius Henderson is also rotating in at left tackle, while graduate Karsen Barnhart, the starter at that spot, is playing some on the right side. The moving parts and new pieces could be a reason for the chemistry still coming along.

“The more reps, the better, obviously,” the Michigan lineman said. “Kind of just getting a feel for everything, just communication-wise. Obviously, there are some plays out there where you might not know what each other are doing but there’s that little instinct that you trust the guy next to you is still going to do it anyway, even though you guys may not have told each other the call or something like that, something small like that. Those kind of plays where you just always have to be on the same page, kind of like the unspoken plays you could call it.”

The small details and extra effort might be the difference going forward for the Michigan offensive line.

“I see it coming together, for sure,” Nugent reiterated. “I think it’s more about the consistency now than anything, just executing each block and strain through the whistle. Letting guys go over the top after [senior running back] Blake [Corum] maybe spits one for 8 yards and making sure the back-side guys don’t fold over the top and make the play. If we can all strain just a few more seconds, all those might become 40-yard, 50-yard touchdowns or whatever it may be. We just gotta keep straining, keep building and keep getting at it.”

The Wolverines have shown improvement on the stat sheet, too. They ran for a season-high 201 yards against Rutgers, and have averaged 5 or more yards per carry each of the last three games after having only 3.9 in the opener against East Carolina.

Blake Corum’s short-yardage strength

Corum has been outstanding at short-yardage runs the last two seasons, with his strength and relentless effort being huge reasons why. So far this season, he’s had 14 rushes with 3 or fewer yards to go for the first down or to the end zone, and picked up 13 first downs, including 6 touchdowns, according to Sports Info Solutions. The offensive line deserves some credit, too, for getting a lot of movement on wedge plays and springing Corum into the end zone.

“My first thought up there is to get as low as possible and drive my feet as fast as possible off the ball,” Nugent said. “If we have to combo to a linebacker, do all that while looking at the linebacker. Down there, it’s all about getting movement on those D-tackles and you’ll be able to get 1 or 2 yards if you can do that.”

Corum’s 5-yard touchdown run to give Michigan a 31-7 lead against Rutgers was an extraordinary effort from the running back, running through contact into the end zone.

“He ran that one guy over,” Nugent said with a smile. “I didn’t even realize that was the extra guy, too. He ended up running that guy over and then carrying another guy — I think it was the back-side linebacker — in with him to the goal line, and reaching the ball. It’s great.”

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All 8 of Corum’s touchdown runs have come from the 5-yard line or closer, including 4 from 2 yards out. He’s tied atop the nation with 8 touchdown rushes this season, after posting 18 in 12 games a year ago.